in the Mosaicall Law in the Offering which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Levit. 2.1 an Offring of fine flower on which they pour'd Oile and Frankincense and is not in this Offring Christ mystically the bread his Grace the Oile and the Thansgiving the Incense It was presigur'd in Eliah's miraculous food in the strength whereof he travailed fortie daies 1 Kings 19.8 untill he came to Horeb the the Mount of God It was prefigured more famously in the Pascall Lambe with the blood whereof the Israelites doores were spinkled and protected It was prefigured in the blood of the Covenant which Moses sprinkled upon the people Exod. 24.8 The Chaldie Paraphrast saies it was sprinkled upon the Altar but for the people so was Christ's blood upon the Crosse but for us Lastly it was prefigur'd in Manna which falling upon the ground was cover'd with a Dew this dew is God's Grace the Manna this bread which is as it were wonderfully covered with grace mystery whence among other reasons some have thought it to be called hidden Manna Rev. 2.17 And as they were to gather the Manna in the morning before it melted by the heate of the Sun so must we be carefull to provide this spirituall food whiles we have time and meanes For as there is no Manna to be found on the Sabboth day so can we have none of this Bread and Grace after this Life Manna is by David Palm 98.25 called Angell's food not properly but figuratively by way of excellency as if we should say if the Angels could eate such food would they eate as likewise it is said the tongue of Angells for the most excellent tongue But the tongue of Angells the most excellent tongue is not able to expresse the excellency of this bread which we may truely call though not the bread of Angells yet the bread of Saints the food of the Righteous in this Life who are the Saints of the Church Militant This is a liberall feeding yet without hurt we being fed here as Tertullian expresses it in a barbarous and excellent word Opinitate Domini Corporis with the plentifullnesse with the wealthinesse of the Lord's Body which here in a mysticall and admirable manner is presented And may we not take up the words of the Israelites not like Them in Distrust but in Admiration Can God furnish a table in the Wildernesse Can he give Bread also Can he provide flesh for his people Ps 76.19 20. Loe here he has done it with more Mystery and Wonder In this our food if we eate it by Faith in this Wildernesse of the world and this Pilgrimage of our Life Yet though this bread be mystically Christ it is Naturally Bread and there is as truely the substance of bread as there are truely the qualities of bread the couler and tast of bread and as there are the dimensions of bread The lesse hardie Romanists though they believe a change of the substance yet they defended their opinion with Devotion and pretence of miracle but a finer race of newer Artists project a possible defence as well by nature as by Miracle whiles they maintain that an Accident may be sustained without a subject making an aptitude to inhere a sufficient foundation by a devise as new and cunning as the devisers Were not this to make miracle to confound nature rather then exceed it to make an Accident a Substance so violating in their beliefe the distinctions of the Creatures which the God of Nature has made Inviolable This bread then as it is naturally bread so it is not Christs naturall body When our Saviour drank this fruite of the Vine and so eate this bread with his disciples shall we say he eate his own body and dranke his own blood and shall we say he delivered twelve Christ's to his Apostles And that they eate a Mortall body but others since his Resurrection a body Glorifyed And shall we say they eat him alive and dank his blood before it was shed on the Crosse Besides was not he like to us in all things sinne only excepted and could then his humane nature as our nature be in more than one place at one time Our Saviour said when he was to depart that he would send a Comforter to us so that now insteed of Christ's presence we have the presence of the Holy Ghost by Grace Christ's presence after he was glorified was to be tryed by the eie and by the touch in our Saviour's Owne Judgement Luk. 24.29 But from such tryall of his presence in the Sacrament though since his glorification the new Artists will be as farre as they are from the Truth But we should remember that when S. Paul 1 Cor. 11. had plainly expressed the Consecration of the bread and wine v. 24. and 25. he does notwithstanding in the next words v. 26. after the Consecration as verily call them the bread and the cup. Thus is this blessed bread true bread and mystically the wine is his blood he is indeed the true Vine mystically then also the wine is his blood and a part of this great Sacrament Our Saviour did Institute it in Bread and Wine and of the Wine particularly said Drink ye all of this which if it be restrained only to his Disciples and so only to the Clergie then may the bread also by the like reason be restrained only to Them and so the Layty shall be deprived of all the Sacrament Or if it be said that the Layty have also the wine vertually in the bread then should the priest have it only in the bread What is then the practice of the Roman partie but with an audacious Sacriledge to alter the Institution of the Sonne of God the wisedome of the Father as if he had not foreseen or had not prevented all inconveniences in the celebration of this Sacrament Let no man then leave out a part least he loose the benefit of all and let that precept be here also remembred since here also it is of use whom God has joyn'd let no man put a sunder nor by a jugle call confusion a Union The Bread and Wine were consecrated successively not Wine In Bread this is mixture rather than union The Sacrament was a memoriall and Representation of our Saviours death in which his blood was separated from his body not then the Wine in the Bread represents it but the Bread and then the Wine in respect of the order and Consecration this is the Union which our Saviour appointed But if you would more comfortably see this Bread this excellent bread behold insteed of the Mystery of it which you cannot well behold the ample benefit of it which you may more easily behold And you may see the benefit even in the name of the Paschal Lambe which was not call'd so from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though the Lambe sufferd death but from the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a passing over or to expresse the swiftnes a Leaping over
nay when the body shall have no covering but all the whole world shall stand naked trembling either with horrour or reverence looking-up unto the Lord of glory He shall come with all his Saints who shall assist him in judging the world Doe ye not know that the Saints shall judge the world 1 Cor. 6.2 They shall assist him by their holy lives compar'd with the abhominations of the wicked They shall assist him by their consent and applause of his sentence against the wicked They shall assist him with honourable attendance being taken up into the aire at the time of this judgment and placed at his right hand The Apostles more especially shall assist him in this judgment Our Saviour himself told them as much Matt. 19.28 When the Sonne of man shall sit in the throne of his glory ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel And peradventure as some reverently thinke their seats shall be glorious cloudes proportion'd to their excellency who though they shall judge the World which resisted or despis'd their Doctrine yet more particularly shall they judge the twelve Tribes of Israel For when the Jewes shall be about to say for themselves that they could not beleeve in Christ because they were commanded to keep the Law of Moses the Apostles sayes S. Chrysostome shall judge them because they likewise did first obey the Law of Moses and afterwards chang'd that obedience into Faith in Christ So also meditates S. Jerom. Nor shall they only judge Men but also Angells Know you not sayes S. Paul that we shall judge Angells 1 Cor. 6.3 those wicked Angells that would have exalted themselves against the Almighty Behold also the Solemnity of this judgment in the Continuance of it For to the glory of this Session and of the Saints before the face of the wicked S. Austin thinks that it shall continue at least the length of a day Unto which some would extend the meaning of those words Matt. 24.27 As the Lightning comes out of the East and shines even unto the West so shall also the comming of the Sonne of man be As if our Saviour should spend the length of a day in passing from the East unto the West that so he might be beheld of all the world But the safest knowledge of these Circumstances must be obtaind not by the bold inquiry of study but by the modest expectation of experience The method of the actions in that day being chiefly to be learn'd in that day in which the sinnes of the whole world shall be reveal'd Which Manifestation of sinnes shall be one of the most wonderfull actions of our Saviours power in that day in which the Lord will search the World as he said he would search Ierusalem Zeph. 1.12 he will search it with candles there is light in the search he will not only search but also discover Thou didst it secretly said the Lord by Nathan unto David but I will doe this thing before all Israel and before the Sunne But how will the Lord in that day discover sinne even as the Sunne-beame pearcing into a room discovers the dusty atoms which before we saw not he will discover them as easily as he can discover the multitude of fishes now hid in the Sea if it should but please him as he speakes by the Prophet Isaiah 50.2 to drie-up the Sea and make the rivers a wildernesse and make their fish die for thirst But how will the Lord in that day discover sinne why S. Paul tels us 1 Cor. 4.5 that the Lord at his comming will both bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the counsailes of the heart It shall be donne by the power of God by the light of Revelation Yet how will the Lord in that day discover sinne why the bookes shall be open'd the bookes of men's consciences shall be open'd they shall be open'd whether they will or no and they shall be read not only by every man's ownselfe but also by all others not only every man's sinnes shall be made known to himselfe but also to every man els by the power of God and the miraculous light of revelation to every particular man as S. Chrysostome teaches us and S. Anselm who sayes that men's sinnes shall be seen as the Sunne is seen by every eie S. Basil sayes they shall be so revealed that they shall be heard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all Angels and men And then will the Almighty pronounce Sentence upon the workes of men In the last day of the Creation God examin'd all his own workes and pronounc'd them all to be very good and in the last day of judgment he will examine all the works of men but what judgment will he pronounce of Them Surely he will say They are almost all very bad Yea he will pronounce a more dreadfull judgment upon the Authours of them who shall beginne their pain before their judgment is pronounc'd For as S. Bernard sayes The just shall be call'd first Christ shall first say unto the righteous come ye blessed of my Father that so the wicked sayes he may be the more tormented according to that of the Prophet David Ps 112.10 The wicked shall see it and be greiv'd he shall gnash with his teeth and melt away the desire of the wicked shall perish And then shall that burden of the wicked be layd upon them Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire O what a separation will that bee when the holy angells shall catch-up the Godly to meet Christ in the aire 1 Thes 4.17 then the wicked shall be cast into a furnace of fire In the beginning God divided between the light and the darknesse So will he doe at the last day What is the light in figure but the Just what the darknesse but the wicked So speakes the Apostle Eph. 5.8 Yee were sometimes darkness but now are yee light in the Lord that is you were once wicked but now are righteous In this world there is both light darknesse but in the end of the world the light and darknesse shall be separated In this world there are both good and bad but in the end of the world the bad shall be separated from the good Which separation is a part of the Execution for which this judgment is so dreadfull They shall depart from the face of the Lord but O whither shall they depart shall they depart as Cain to be vagabonds upon the face of the earth No there is no returne unto the earth though some have thought but never prov'd that the place of torment shall be on the earth and in the channels where the Seas now swell But this is oppos'd not only by truth but also by errour that errour of some who because it is said there shall be a new earth wherein dwels righteousnesse have therfore beleev'd that the godly at least a great part of them shall even here injoy for
doe in every Church keep a Catalogue of the Fasters And well may they rejoyce for would you scape Gods judgments Fast and remember Ahab remember the Ninivites who did not so much proclaim their Fast as they have proclaim'd God's Acceptance of it Would you overcome and cast on t the Devil fast by this our Saviour cast him out nay some devils can not be cast out but by Prayer and Fasting Matt. 17.21 The proud Devil can not be cast-out but by the Humility of Prayer and the unclean the Lustful Devil can not be cast-out but by the Purity of fasting Yet I will not propose unto you the fast of Moses of Eliah of our Saviour fasts of fourty dayes this were rather to bid you be miraculous then devout But I may Bid you behold the holy Anna the Prophetesse who having been a widow about fourscore and four years having renounced the world and departingnot from the Temple night nor day but serving God with prayers and fastings Luk. 2.37 was at last blest in the Temple with the sight of the Babe Christ Iesus the Lord of the Temple A reverend monument of temperance whether wee consider her Sexe her Age or her Devotion A most reverend monument of persevering temperance and of a temperance in all things Excellent was the temperance of those holy women which did despise the vanitie and pleasure of their looking-glasses when they brought them all to Moses as is recorded Exod. 38.1 Of which devout women it is there said that they did assemble by troopes to the door of the Tabernacle The Chaldie Interpreter sayes they came to pray the Greek says that they fasted and others render the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they did warre and aptly might it be renderd to warre that is the Lords Spirituall warfare and service So Moses speaks of the Levites that enterd-in to warre the warfare as the Margent shews from the Hebrew that is to performe the service and to doe the work in the Tabernacle of the Congregation Numb 4.23 So speakes S. Paul to Timothie that thou by them mightest warre a good warfare 1 Tim. 1.18 And you may a litle farther note the blessing of those women in some sort shadow'd-out in the gifts which they did present For of their looking-glasses as by custom of speech they are call'd though they were of brass as the margent notes from the Original as in these times we have some of steele Moses made a Laver for the use of the Tabernacle of the Lord And thus the instruments wherby they did adorne their bodies were chang'd into an instrument wherby through faith they might Sanctifie their Souls as the Priest by washing in the same did purifie his body And this temperance from outward things in these holy women did not it seems decay amongst the Jewes nay rather it increas'd even to a temperance from the most tempting pleasures of the body For so you may read of the Virgins that were shut-up in the Temple at Ierusalem as the Authour of the book of Macchabies relates Lib. 2. Cap. 3.19 which virgins S. Ambrose sayes Lib. 3. de virginibus were deputatae dedicated to the Temple at Ierusalem And it seems Anna the Prophetesse was of the like devotion who did the more abstain from bodily food sayes Tertullian ut magis spiritualibus deliciaretur that she might the more exquisitely be delighted with the Spirituall food Shee did indeed so devoutly diet her self as if being a Prophetesse she had foreknown that she was to runne a long race No marvaile then if the Christian Church which was to exceed the Jewish as much in purity of life as of knowledge took all occasions to imitate holy fasts Hence was the Spring fast or fast of Lent instituted to imitate for our proportion our Saviours abstinence not to attain the degree of it but the benefit Indeed if He fasted so that had no sinne as S. Ambrose's devotion argues how ought we to fast who without him are nothing but sinne And if he fasted so for the sinnes of others sayes S. Bernard how ought we to fast for our own sinnes The space of Lent as the piety of some has observ'd is the Tenth of the year though strictly somewhat more which if by holy exercises we Sanctifie unto God he will sanctifie the other nine parts unto us Besides it will shew our estimation of his fast and make us remember as S. Austin sayes the greatnesse of our wound by the greatnesse of his fast and the greatnesse of his cure by the greatnesse of our danger Hence also did they institute their quarterly fasts that at those seasons they might be the more fit both for prayer for the food of their souls by Gods blessing on the Ministers of the Church in that Age at those times to be ordain'd as also for Prayer and Thanksgiving for the food of our bodys the fruits of the ground which principally at those times are either in the seed or the blade or the eare either rotting ripening or ripe and therfore craving Gods more instant and seasonable blessing Hence also did they perform preparative fasts against the memorials of the Saints Saints regesterd in Gods word such as the attendants of our Saviour in his life not but that all true beleevers are truly Saints as having true sanctity but neither of their degree nor of their glory the divine wisdome making them starres of a greater magnitude in the heaven of the Church And thus they did not only Remember those greate examples of holinesse but also Imitate them and by the imitation of their Sanctitie learn'd to increase their own Hence also were their weekely fasts the wednesday fast amongst other reasons in remembrance of our Saviours Innocence and Danger it being on the day before his passion that the great consultation of the cheif Priests and Elders was held against his life as is collected from the beginning of the 26. Chapter of S. Mathew as also that on that day be was by ointment prepar'd for his buriall Yet this fast as Tertullian sayes did but passive currere was but permitted in the Church rather than commanded The Friday-day fast was instituted in a continuall remembrance of our Saviour's death as the Saturday-fast in remembrance of his Humiliation for our sakes in the Grave as also for our preparation unto a more holy celebrating of our Christian Sabbath And surely as it were a great offence to observe dayes and fasts with superstition in beleef of Merit doubtlesse it is an acceptable Sacrifice unto God to observe them with devotion For as the Apostle bids us flie all occasion of evill so by the rule of contraries he implies that we must gladly imbrace all occasions of good all occasions wherby we may make our Soules more obedient unto God by making our bodies more obedient to our Soules Fast and see how good and gracious the Lord is Hence were those frequent and private fasts of the Ancient Christians many
baptising was not properly by Iohn but by the power of Christ working with him The outward ministry of Iohn could apply the outward element but it was the inward ministry of Christ that applyed the Holy Ghost Besides Iohn did new baptize them with water but that time should come when the Comforter should come And it specially alludes to the wonder at Pentecost when our Saviour baptised them Not with water but only with the Holy Ghost and with fire the fiery tongues But why then did S. Paul Act. 19.4 5. baptize those disciples that were said to have been baptized into Iohn's Baptisme Many are the Answers S. Ambrose his may satisfie Those converts thought they had been rightly baptised but so it was not they had not heard of the Holy Ghost Besides it is said that they were Now baptized in the name of Iesus implying that they were not so before so that in truth and effect they were not baptized before To be baptized then Into Christ what is it Is it not a Profession of his Doctrine and a promise of an Imitation of his Holinesse It is but more than a promise it is it is an Imitation of his Holinesse in a Conformity of Life with Christ It is to be baptized into the Death of Christ as S. Paul speakes Rom. 6. 3 4. that as our Saviour was raised to a new life so we to a newnesse of life We are by his death made partakers of the merits of his death To be baptised then into Christ is to be Sanctified to put on Christ so by an inward baptisme whiles we are covered with his Garment we shall also become a part of his Mystical Body Which sanctified estate some thinking to be attained only by baptisme even outward baptisme would bring in an Absolute and Indispensable necessity of it unto Salvation This perswasion occationed that custome with some even in the primitive times to baptize men after they were dead if they dyed without baptisme as appeares by the third Council of Carthage Can. 6. by which it was forbidden This occasioned also almost a like custome among the Marcionites who as Tertullian relates it in case that one dyed without baptisme some alive was baptized for him The like some tell us of the Iewes that if one of them dyed without expiation according to the Law Numb 19.12 Some of his kindred were purged for him But know we may and to our comfort that baptisme though so excellent and necessary in respect of God's command if it may be had is not absolutely necessary in respect of Salvation since this may be obtain'd though not ordinarily without baptisme Els should we be injurious to God himselfe and bind his mercy absolutely to outward means We should as some of more Opinion than Wisedome presumptuously and unmercifully esteem all Infants damned that die unbaptized We should pronounce the like also of all such Infants as dyed before Circumcision Which is so odious that the great Master of Theologicall Determinations Peter Lombard would in part help it by an over free conjecture thinking that in case of necessity they anciently circumcised the Child before the eighth day But this defence will not defend it selfe the Masters of Jewish rites telling us that it might not be performed before that day Besides what should we say then to all those that for forty yeares dyed in the wildernesse without Circumcision or all those Infants in the primitive times that died before baptisme which as Tertullian tells us for his time was usually celebrated but at Easter and Whitsontide And though we may grant exceptions in those first times in case of Necessity yet many doubtlesse dyed without baptisme And yet this custome continued in the Church eight hundred yeares even to the time of Charles the Great as appeares by Lawes made at that time about this Rite Which has been long continued since in some degree in Rome itselfe as the pascall Ceremonies of that place imply there being in the Laterane Church Constantines Font as they call it preserv'd for the yearly baptizing at those seasons such Jews or other Unbelievers as are converted to the Christian Faith In such cases then as before mentioned more charitably it is determined as among others eminently by Aquinas that Infants then have baptismum flaminis etsi non fluminis the baptisme of the Spirit though not of water Not the want but Contempt or Neglect of the Holy ordinance hurts He that is not Circumcised shall be cut off from the people of God Gen. 17.14 It is understood of those chiefely that were of age and so in effect it was he that Will not be Circumcised Thus he that is not borne of water the holy Spirit shall not enter into the Kingdome of God that is if he may have the water of Baptisme and will not The Thiefe upon the Crosse was not baptiz'd and yet he was Saved Nay we have no expresse testimonie that the Baptist was baptiz'd though he sayes indeed unto our Saviour that he had need to be baptised of our Saviour and yet we know the Baptist was sanctifyed in the wombe though some think that he baptiz'd himselfe for so we know that Abraham Circumcised himselfe and the Minister in the Holy Communion administers bread and wine unto Himselfe Yet as some may be sanctifyed which were never baptised so on the contrary not all that are baptized are sanctifyed Grace is not necessarily annexed to outward Baptisme Simon Magus had baptisme Act. 8.13 yet without Grace v. 21. Els we should make Simon and Judas the Iscariot Saints since Grace is an Immortall seed by which they that have it shall live for ever and as that which was once a member of a Naturall body shall at last rise againe a member of the body so who by Grace is once a member of the Mysticall body where of Christ is the Head shall at last arise a true member of the Mysticall body Grace then is not Physically annexed to baptisme the element it selfe being not capable of it that so it might impart it God only with the water at the libertie of his favour gives Grace S. Austin is cleare in the approbation of this high truth Lib. 6. contra Donatistas cap. 24. some says he put on Christ usque ad vitae sanctificationem some only usque ad Sacramenti preceptionem this says he is common to the good and evill that is proper only to the Good Some then according to his judgement put on Christ to Sanctification which only indeed is worthy of the bhrase to put on Christ Some only Sacramentally by an outward Profession which passage of S. Austin the master of the sentences not only alleadges but approves And surely S. Paul himselfe teaches us this distinction Rom. 2.29 saying that there is a Circumcision in the Letter and in the Spirit And with a like Reason may we not say there is a baptisme in the Letter and in the Spirit As certainly then as